Princesses Returning to Theaters

In the digital age, fewer and fewer people are going out to the movies because it's so easy to access everything from home on streaming media. To remedy this, Fathom Events tries to appeal to our childhood nostalgia with exclusive re-release events for movies that we love. This year, it seems like theaters have been particularly focused on bringing back our favorite princesses. Seeing an older movie in theaters is different from seeing something new. People already know exactly what to expect and what they love about it. They go for the experience of seeing it again on a big screen in a dark theater, surrounded by fans who love it as much as they do.


The next princess movie making its return to theaters is the 1987 classic The Princess Bride. The movie is coming back to celebrate its 30th anniversary on as a Fathom Event presented by TCM Big Screen Classics. It will be back in theaters on the 15th and 18th of this month. The Princess Bride was not a particularly inspiring movie for me, but it did have some historical significance. It was one of few live-action princess movies released in the '80s, and it proved that stories about princesses could be just as appealing to boys as they are to girls. There are many iconic scenes in it that people love to quote. They have even worn t-shirts quoting the famous Inigo Montoya scene. Anyone attending this screening is sure to have a wonderful time reciting all of the dialogue they know so well.

It's a little late in the game for this announcement, but Disney also brought six of their most popular princess movies back to theaters over the past month. The event is a collaboration between AMC and Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Most of these screenings have already taken place except for Disney and Pixars 2012 Brave, which will be released at select AMC theaters this Friday. There's clearly a focus on modern princesses from the six that they chose for these screenings. Half of them are CGI, and half are from the traditional animation era. The choice to put Beauty and the Beast in the running was most likely a feeble attempt to get more people interested in the disappointing live-action remake from earlier this year. The other two traditionally animated princesses, Mulan and Tiana, add diversity to the mix. Moana was a odd choice, since it just came out in theaters last year.

As much of a surprise it is to see AMC participating in bringing the princesses back to the big screen, it's just a regular routine for the El Capitan Theatre. The theater was purchased by Disney in 1991 for the premiere of The Rocketeer, and they have been showing Disney movies ever since. During their slower periods, they regularly bring older classics back to the big screen for events like "Thowback Thursday" or "Sing Along" versions of their films. I went there once for an event where they showed The Little Mermaid in 3D. It was amazing seeing depth in the ocean where Ariel swam for the first time. The El Capitan Theatre has a beautiful and classy look to it with a curtain that covers the screen and a full stage, where they have characters come out to perform before each screening. Sometimes they even have magic shows. They eve have a pianist who plays Disney songs on a grand organ that rises up through a trap door on the stage. Seeing movies there is always a magical experience.


Something else I love about the El Capitan is that they display costumes and props from live-action films they show, allowing you to see physical pieces of the movie before watching it on the big screen. Another theater here in Los Angeles that does that the Arclight, which had some of the new Beauty and the Beast costumes on display for a while. I got to see costumes from Maleficent, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and the new Cinderella on display at the El Capitan, along with some beautiful props and set pieces. Seeing these things added a new layer of realism for me when I watched them on the big screen. If you live in the Los Angeles area, it's definitely worth seeing a movie there for a full immersive experience.

Another upcoming Fathom Event is in honor of my favorite animated prince, Samurai Jack. Select AMC theaters are showing a digitally remastered version of the show's premiere movie on October 16th. It encompasses the first three episodes of the 2001 Cartoon Network show. The animation in the series is very cinematic, so seeing it on the big screen is a great introduction to the samurai if you are unfamiliar with him. I had my opportunity to see Jack on the big screen this past March, when series creator Genndy Tartakovsky presented fans with the first new episodes made after a 13 year long hiatus at the Los Angeles premiere. The excitement was contagious as we waited in line for hours to be treated to free posters, popcorn, a live concert, Q&A, and the first ever screening of the new season. It was an unforgettable event for me.


There is nothing quite like seeing a movie on the big screen for the first time. The smell of popcorn, the dark theater, and the excitement in the air create an experience like none other. If you love something enough, seeing it in theaters for a second time can be just as exciting. I love places like the El Capitan Theatre that go the extra mile to make sure that fans have the best experience that they can possibly have. It's very exciting how many princess movies are making their return to the big screen this year, and I hope fans can experience many more fun events like this in the future.

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